Wildlife Surveys & Monitoring

Long-term wildlife monitoring provides insight into the status of resources, habitats, and species. Trends over time capture the response to change indicated by shifts in relative abundance or distribution on the landscape. We work with a variety of partners to support the monitoring of species and environmental conditions.

Osprey Monitoring

Osprey Overview

If you have any observations to share about our local osprey or a potential nest site not shown on our map, contact our Stewardship Coordinator at jonathan.mitchell@dem.ri.gov

RI Osprey Info

Select Wildlife Monitoring Projects

Native Trout
The small streams of Prudence Island support native trout. Working with RIDEM we deploy several sensors to monitor stream temperature and dissolved oxygen levels.
Southern Pine Beetles
In recent years the southern pine beetle has devasted hundreds of acres of pitch pine forests in the region. We are monitoring our pine woodlands and trapping for southern pine beetles in the hopes of avoiding extensive damage to unique pine barren habitat on Prudence Island.
Tiger Beetles
Tiger beetles burrow into the ground and most species require sandy, exposed soil that you might find on a beach dune or in a pine barren. Prescribed burns in meadows and woodlands reduce the buildup of leaves, needles, and grasses, leaving the sandy soil exposed for tiger beetles and other ground dwelling insects.